Book excerpt: Every company faces the inevitable challenge: stagnate or grow. One of the fastest ways for small- and mid-size companies to expand is through acquisition. Purchasing another company can seem daunting--but when done right, it can deliver outstanding rewards. Successful Acquisitions supplies the key information that business leaders need to know about finding and buying companies. Written by an M&A expert with more than $1 billion in transactions under his belt, the book's practical and comprehensive approach integrates all the moving pieces into a logical step-by-step process that covers: * The art and science of researching companies * Building and balancing an acquisition team * Valuation tips that look beyond the obvious * The importance of "the seller's equation" * Developing a negotiation platform * How to be tough and still protect the buyer-seller relationship * Guidelines for structuring an airtight deal * The letter of intent, due diligence, purchase agreement, funding, and other essentials * Bringing the deal to a timely close * A 100-day plan for making integration a success It's all here. From building the foundation to growing the relationships to cementing the deal, Successful Acquisitions is a complete roadmap to buying companies and achieving proactive strategic growth.